Free Flick of the Day: The Toxic Avenger

I had mostly forgotten about The Toxic Avenger until I walked into the living room about a week ago and noticed my husband watching it. I've only seen it once, and that was about 20 years ago, but I knew immediately which movie it was. There's something about Toxie that you don't forget. I saw it in college and was simultaneously amused and appalled by the scene of vengeance in the fast-food joint. It was one of my first experiences with campy horror/comedy films.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you're in luck -- SlashControl has made The Toxic Avenger available for you to watch from your computer, for free. This is the first time I've had to supply my age in order to watch a film online -- this is very definitely Not For Kids. Trust me. The 1984 film was the first hit for Lloyd Kaufman's notorious Troma Entertainment, and I believe it was a late-night USA Network staple by the time I was in college. Melvin, a much-abused nerdy janitor at the swanky Tromaville Health Club, falls into some toxic waste and voila! He's a superhero ... or a monster ... or both. There are also three sequels, which I haven't seen. One was plenty. I'm told there's also a musical stage version,